This page contains biographies provided by classmates whose last name (maiden name for the gals) begin with D-E-F, who wanted to share with you what has been going on in their lives..
Last updated: 6/25/19
D
Barb (Duwe) Smith
I have a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin and a MBA and another master’s degree from other colleges. I taught junior high social studies in suburban Philadelphia after graduating from the UW until I was married and bore two sons. Later in my career we moved to Hartford, Connecticut where I was employed for nearly 30 years in Information Technology management at Travelers Insurance.
I am now retired and along with my husband Dave we enjoy spending time with our sons and their families in the Hartford area. Our four grandchildren are now either just starting college or finishing off their high school careers. All of us spend time on our power boat (“Usual Suspects”) on Long Island Sound in the summertime and in the winter you will find us watching U Conn women’s basketball.
BETSY (DYE) SWENSON
In 1963 I married Gary Swenson, graduated from Nursing School and moved to NYC. For the next 45 years, Gary worked on Wall Street until he was 70. I worked as a nurse for 10 years before retiring to meet the demands of our growing family. Our children (2 girls and 1 boy) were raised in Greenwich, CT. Our home on the water has provided lots of opportunities for water sports and activities which we enjoy sharing with our whole family. Our vacations have included sailing, skiing/snowboarding, windsurfing, hunting. Gary & I took 2 motorcycle trips and 1 trip in our private plane across the US. We are enjoying being with our 3 grandchildren in both our homes as we now spend the winters in Scottsdale, AZ.
Through it all, God has been faithful and has blessed us in so many ways.
We are very thankful for our Christian faith and our wonderful family.
We will miss sharing in our 60th reunion – may God’s blessings surround you all.
F
Laura Fellman
3 children and 1 grandson. Have had a varied life as: a nomad, travelling all of North America while living in a tent; taught vegetarian cooking; taught yoga; was a magazine publisher; goat herder; had a fitness business; pilot; built a house. Went back to school in late 40s for a Masters of Social Work degree, then worked in the field. Now, I am a mentor for men coming out of prison, doing counseling, am interested in spirituality. Still work out physically on a daily basis.
Heather Flett Ziegenhagen
If I had to summarize I would say we are still making memories. Life seems to continue at a wonderful pace.
I met my husband, Fred, at the University of Wisconsin. We have three other couples that we still meet with their spouses annually. The girls all met at UW. We girls call ourselves the Beamers. There is C-Beam, Starbeam, Moonbeam and myself, Sunbeam. We are all living in different states: Colorado, California, Illinois and Wisconsin. I think it truly is something that we have kept this friendship even though the distance between us is great. We all just rented a house on the Isle of Palms, near Charleston, in May.
Fred and I have three children and seven grandchildren. We will be flying to Seattle in July where our son lives. Our daughters, their spouses and our grandchildren will also be there. We will be bringing a 6 foot inflatable Bucky Badger for our son’s 55th birthday.
Just making more memories,
Heather Ziegenhagen (Flett)
MATT (TIM) FOX (updated 10/27/18)
Joined the Dominican Order and went through training for 9 years ending in ordination; then on to Institut catholique de Paris for a PhD in Spirituality. On returning taught at several colleges including Loyola, Barat and Mundelein Colleges in Chicago area, starting a master’s program in Creation Spirituality which brought together scientists, artists as well as theologians and ran for 7 years. Then brought it to Holy Names College in Oakland, Ca and it flourished there for 12 years but was finally axed by the Vatican (which also silenced me for a year and 3 years later expelled me from the Dominican Order after 34 years).
Started my own “University of Creation Spirituality”(UCS) in downtown Oakland which flourished for 9 years and became an Episcopal priest to work with young people to reinvent forms of Western worship employing elements of the rave culture including dance, dj, vj, rap (no drugs). Have done over 100 such “Cosmic Masses” in N. America. Took pedagogy of UCS to inner city high schoolers in Oakland with exciting results. Authored about 36 books now translated in 71 language and still doing speaking and lecturing. Among the book titles are “Original Blessing,” “A Spirituality Named Compassion,” “The Reinvention of Work,” “The Lotus and The Rose: Conversations on Tibetan Buddhism and Mystical Christianity” with Lama Tsomo and books on Meister Eckhart, Hildegard of Bingen, Thomas Merton, Thomas Aquinas.
No wife, no kids, but a number of students over the years. Very grateful for my West High experience and friends.
Cheers!
Matthew (Tim) Fox
Margaret “Margy” Freed New, aka Maggie
Academics/counseling/teaching have been the core of my life – attended at St. Olaf College, University of Stockholm, Duke, University of North Carolina, worked at The George Washington University and have degrees from UW-Madison, Stanford, UCLA. In addition to employment at a university or school, founded The Middleburg Group, LLC in 1996 through which now consult at the US Foreign Service in Washington DC – helping diplomats retire from government service.
Divorced, only child lives in San Francisco, no grandchildren.
Play tennis and very proud to say I went to USTA National Tournament twice and last year won club’s coveted Calcutta Tennis Tournament (had a great young partner).
After 30 years living in Hunt Country of Virginia (Middleburg) downsized into a small city apartment. Ugh, what work!!!!
Advocate for self-care – physical/mental health are important to me so I have a manageable, healthy lifestyle. Enjoy talking to people about politics, religion, purpose, nutrition, travel, business. Not very interested in hearing about grandchildren, sorry.
What’s next: renting my apartment for short term occupancy while I go to Valencia Spain for 6 months to Improve my Spanish, immerse myself in the culture and have more time to explore interesting cities in Europe. Come visit me.
JoAnn Friedman Salin
Education and Work
BS Degree in Elementary Education and MS Degree in Rehabilitation Psych, UW-Madison. Grade School Teacher, Real Estate Agent, Researcher, UW-Vocational Studies, Computer Trainer, UW-Computing Center. And in retirement I’ve written a screenplay “Difficult Years” based on my life-currently looking for a Hollywood producer 😉
Personal
I married when I graduated UW in 1962. Was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1969 and divorced shortly thereafter when my children were one and three years old. Lived in Sheboygan and Milwaukee during those seven years and have lived in Madison ever since. I have three grandchildren (ages 8 -22) and they live close by – Waunakee and on Drake Street (4 doors away from the house I grew up in !!! I moved to a retirement center five years ago and love it — it’s like living in a dorm. Last year Doug Moe wrote an article about me in Madison Magazine – https://www.channel3000.com/madison-magazine/city-life/diagnosis-a-full-life/607322051
Madison West High School Class of 1958 